Target to offer shoppers a breather after Thanksgiving

NEW YORK (AP) — Target is offering shoppers a breather after holiday shopping on Thanksgiving.

The Minneapolis-based discounter says it will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and then close at midnight local time. Its stores will then reopen at 6 a.m. local time on Friday until 10 p.m., 11 p.m. or midnight local time.

That’s different from last year, when it kept stores open through the night.

Target again will offer Black Friday deals at Target.com on the morning of Thanksgiving. In a lead-up to the holiday, it will dangle select deals starting Monday, as it has for the past four years.

Like other retailers, Target is trying to figure out what makes sense for its customers who are jumping back and forth between online and the stores. It learned that while shoppers like the opportunity to shop on Thanksgiving and Black Friday at its stores, the crowds thinned out in the wee hours of the morning. Store executives also said the new plan gives employees a chance to refresh merchandise.

Kohl’s and J.C. Penney are both opening stores an hour earlier on Thanksgiving than a year ago, but Penney is trying to outdo its department store rivals by a few hours. J.C. Penney said it will open at 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving and stay open until 10 p.m. on Friday. Kohl’s is opening at 5 p.m. and will be open straight through midnight on Black Friday.

Others are sticking to the same time as a year ago. Most Macy’s stores will open at 5 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving and close at 2 a.m., similar to last year. They will reopen 6 a.m. local time on Black Friday.

Toys R Us will open at 5 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving and remain open for 30 straight hours.

Like many retailers, Target is offering more incentives for customers to come back to the store and trying to make it easier to get deals.

When customers spend $50 on the day after Thanksgiving, they’ll get a coupon for 20 percent off a future shopping trip. And nearly all of Target’s Black Friday online deals will be eligible for pickup at the store. Also new this year: discounts will be applied automatically at checkout, with no coupons or codes required. And on the day before Thanksgiving, holders of Target-branded credit cards will get access to more than 100 Black Friday deals.

Penney is also offering Black Friday deals earlier. Last year, the Black Friday sale prices started at JCPenney.com on the day before Thanksgiving. This year, they go into effect online on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.